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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
NEW YORK (AP) -- Chris Childs was booed constantly and jeered
relentlessly, and Mark Jackson showed him no love, either.
|  | | Chris Childs, formerly of the Knicks, gets a hug from former teammate Latrell Sprewell, but there wasn't any love from the New York crowd for Childs. |
Jackson outplayed Childs in the pivotal third quarter to lead
the New York Knicks past Toronto 88-72 Thursday night, preventing
the Raptors from sweeping the four-game season series.
Childs became an instant villain in his first game in Madison
Square Garden since being traded last month to Toronto for Jackson,
getting booed every time he touched the ball and jeered each time
he made one of the miscues that had become all too familiar during
Childs' 4{ seasons with the Knicks.
"They were not happy with him. They were not happy at all,"
Latrell Sprewell said.
Kurt Thomas scored 22 points, Sprewell had 21 and Jackson 11 for
the Knicks, who snapped a six-game regular-season losing streak
against the Raptors.
Vince Carter scored 22 points for Toronto but got little help
from his teammates. Antonio Davis, with 13 points, was the only
other Toronto player in double figures.
Childs finished with eight assists but shot 0-for-4 from the
field and did not score. Jackson had 11 points, three assists and
five rebounds.
"They booed us when I was here, so I'm used to that," said
Childs, who was expecting a less-than-warm reception but probably
never imagined it would be so sustained. "Latrell asked me what
did I do, and I said maybe I look like Reggie Miller."
Childs paid a visit to the Knicks' locker room before the game
to ask Larry Johnson about his health and to give a congratulatory
cigar to Rick Brunson, who has a newborn son.
After the game, he exchanged hugs at center court with a few of
his former teammates.
The bad feelings between the Knicks and Childs were heightened
during a game 11 days earlier when Childs taunted the Knicks during
a 10-point Raptors victory over New York. Coach Jeff Van Gundy went
as far as to call Childs a "barking dog."
The animosity from the fans came down long and loud when Childs
first checked into the game midway through the first quarter, and
it kept up throughout.
"That was tough," Carter said. "I don't know the history of
what's gone on, but in my opinion I thought he was one of the guys
who laid it on the line for them every night. I played against him
in the playoffs and he always played hard, and I thought they would
appreciate all the things he's done for them."
Childs had five assists in 11 first-half minutes but picked up
three fouls, the last of which came with Toronto trailing 40-38.
The Knicks built their lead to 55-50 by the time Childs returned
midway through the third quarter, which was when Jackson started
getting the better of him in their head-to-head matchup.
Jackson hit a 3-pointer to make it 60-52, then backed down
one-on-one against Childs before throwing a nifty behind-the-back
pass to Thomas for a three-point play.
"We've been seeing him make that pass over the last couple
years against us, so I knew to expect it," Thomas said.
Childs picked up a questionable foul moments later and stopped
himself at the last moment from slamming the ball to the ground,
then committed a mindless turnover on Toronto's next possession
when he drove the lane and left his feet without any idea of what
he planned to do.
New York, which outscored Toronto 24-12 in the third, took a
69-56 lead into the fourth and answered Toronto's 6-0 run with an
8-2 run that made it 79-66 with six minutes left. The Raptors never
threatened thereafter.
Before the game, Childs said he wasn't sure what type of a
reception he'd get from the fans who never truly warmed to him
during his time in New York.
"I don't think I have the personality to be a villain. I'm too
good looking to be a villain. If I was Reggie Miller-ugly then I
could be a villain," he said.
Game notes
Carter banged knees with Thomas in the first quarter and appeared seriously injured, but he returned in the second quarter.
... Knicks forward Larry Johnson missed his fifth consecutive game
with a sore back. Thomas again played well in his place, and
Othella Harrington came off the bench to contribute six points and
five rebounds. ... Alvin Williams, the starting point guard for the
Raptors, shot 2-for-11.
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RECAPS
LA Lakers 125
Detroit 119
New York 88
Toronto 72
Seattle 108
Milwaukee 102
Dallas 103
Minnesota 83
Houston 108
New Jersey 106
Boston 105
Phoenix 101
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